“Chris Mollon” The Name Behind The Username

We had the pleasure of sitting down with the very talented “PhotoVentureBoy” and we’ve had the honor to do his First Interview. There comes a time when one comes out of their shell and into the world for all it has to offer. The Detroit based Photographer comes with a realist view on just about everything. His Social Media Presence just naturally inspires a ton of people. Make sure you follow him and check out his site for new work (www.PhotoVentureBoy.com)

1. Tell us a little about yourself and your start with photography.

“Well, hello. My name is Chris Mollon. I am a 24 year old, currently living in Detroit Michigan. I started taking photos pretty much once I got my first iPhone, but I purchased my first DSLR back in December of 2013 when I found out I could get a credit line through Amazon.com (stupid choice, don’t open credit lines) and that was pretty much why I started shooting. I had the option to buy a camera so I did. I always used to play around with my friend’s camera back in the days of MySpace. She had a fisheye lens and I thought that was super dope to take profile photos with (I was 16 cut me some slack) and the high quality an “actual camera” produced was intriguing to me. I’ve dealt with anxiety and bipolar mental health issues almost all my life so once I found out that I could use photography as a coping mechanism I really got into it. Didn’t realize this until maybe a year and a half into the craft when I really started getting serious. I used to be on medicine for these issues but nothing really ever worked for me in the long run, so I ended up just cutting myself off of my meds and using photography as my medication. To this day, if I go too long without shooting, I notice those issues come back.”

2. Who is your biggest influence and why ?

“That is seriously such a difficult question. Honestly, I have a wide range of people who influence my photography. From music artists, to painters, to other photographers. Really my biggest influence though is the world around me. When I’m shooting I don’t really reflect back to an image I saw previously, I just work the scene in front of me until I leave it with an image I’m happy with…or at least try to achieve that goal.”

3. Are you a full time photographer or do you have a career?

“That’s probably one of the biggest misconceptions I encounter when speaking to people about myself and my photos. Everyone assumes because I have a decently sized social media following on Instagram or due to the nature/quality of my photos, that I’m a professional. I am not. I very rarely do/accept jobs from other people in exchange for money. I work full time for a pepper spray manufacturing company helping run the day to day operations. Yup. A 9-5. They say, “do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life”, but to me, if photography moved into my primary financial operation, then it would become work, regardless of how strong my passion is for it, so for now I am keeping it in the hobby bracket.”

4. What has been most difficult in your photography endeavors?

Honestly, probably the most difficult thing would be overcoming what I call “photographer’s block.” It’s similar to writer’s block and we all go through it in some area of our life. Whether you call it a “slump,” “rut” or “funk,” there always comes a time every so often that no matter how much inspiring things you see around you, you can’t produce work you’re proud of. Managing through those times are probably the most difficult thing in photography to me.”

5. What was your first and next camera?

“My first camera ever was a Canon Rebel EOS t3i. I don’t even remember anything about that camera anymore, I just know that was my first one. Since then I have owned a Canon EOS M, Fuji X-E1, Fuji x100S, Fuji x100T, Fuji X-T1, Canon 6D and a Canon 5Diii. I still currently shoot with a Canon 5Diii and the Fuji x100T. The Fuji x100T, in my opinion, is the greatest camera I’ve ever used. Can’t explain why, it just is. It has soul. As for my next camera purchase, I’m thinking of maybe purchasing a Fuji x-Pro2, but that’s if the price comes down on it. Paying $1700 for a crop sensor body doesn’t make sense to me. Other than that. I’m really content with my current setup.”

6. What’s your most memorable/proudest achievement?

“Well, to be honest, in photography I live my proudest moment every day, when I wake up and still continue to take photos. I haven’t won any awards or really done anything groundbreaking or worthy of a standout memory with my photos, in my opinion, but the fact that I’ve stuck with this craft this long makes me damn proud, because when it comes to other things in life, I usually don’t stick it out this long, but this has really become a passion.”

7. What do you ultimately wish to accomplish?

“I just want to be happy and continue taking photos until the day that I die. This is something that truly gives me joy and maybe one day I’ll turn it into a profession, but for now, I am just having fun with it.”